Driving mechanism for slicing machines



Fb 10, 1931- c. F. M. VAN BERKEL 1,791,753

DRIVING MEGHANISM FoR sLIcING MACHINES Filed Oct. 28,. 1927 Patented Feb. 10, 1931 I UNITED "STATES PATENT oI-Fica CORNELIS FRANCISCUS MARIA VAN BERKEL, OF WASSENAAR, iNETHERLANDS, AS-

SIGNOR TO U. S. SLICING MACHINE COMPANY, OF LA PORTE, INDIANA, A CORPO- RATION' or INDIANA DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SLICING MACHINES Application mea october 2s, 1927, seriainb.

rlhis invention relates to machines for slicing various commodities and has for its object the provision of a slicing machine in which the knife may be rotated or remain stationary, as occasion requires. @ther objects and advantages will appear from the following description.

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawing and described in the following specication, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. i

In the d rawing Fig. 1 is-an elevation of a slicing machine having one embodiment of the present invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1; v

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section of a clutch forming a part of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

When a meat slicing machine is used for slicing other materials, as, for instance, cheese, it is sometimes advisable to permit the knife to remain stationary while the carriage operates to feed the-material to the knife. l If the knife is rotated asin slicing meat, the cheese, or other soft material, will be smeared over the surface ofthe knife and the slices will be broken.

carriagell mounted on The present invention therefore provides means which permits the knife to be disconnected`from its driving mechanism at any desired time even though the machine may be operating at the time it is desired to disconnect theknife. 1

` In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the numeral 10 designates the base of a slicing machine having the .usual reciprocating guides 12 and operated by a hand wheel 13. The hand wheel 13 is connected by a shaft 14 to a pinion 15- which drives a gear 16 secured to an upright shaft 17 which carries the crank 18 for operating the reciprocating carriage 11. A shaft .19 is provided with a'pinionl 20 which also meshes with the gear 16. The shaft 19, as

229,341, and in Germany December 23, 1926.

and the 'end of the shaft is provided with an enlargement or collar 22. A ratchet wheel 23 is loosely mounted on the shaft 19 between the collar 22 and the end of the bearing 21. A sprocket wheel 24 is journaled on a portion 'of the shaft 19 projecting beyond the collar 22 and is provided with a sleeve 25, the outer surface' of which is flush with the surface of the collar 22. The sprocket wheel 24 is held in place on the end of the shaft 19 by a washer 26 and a screw 27. A helical spring` 28 surrounds the collar 22 and sleeve 25 and is sufiiciently tightly wound to grip the surfaces of the sleeve and collar. One end of the spring 28 is held in an opening 29 in the ratchet wheel 23 and the opposite end of the spring is held in an opening 30 in the sprocket wheel 24.

When the shaft 19 is rotated so that the upper side of the shaft-moves toward the observer, as viewed in Fig. 3, the friction between the surface of the collar 22 and the spring 28 will tend to tighten the spring upon the collar and sleeve 25 so that the sleeve 25 and sprocket wheel 24 will be clutched to the shaft 19 and caused to rotate therewith.

ratchet wheel 23 and is provided with a knob 32 by means of which it may be moved into the path of the teeth on the ratchet wheel. Zhen this is done the ratchet wheel 23 will be arrested and the end of the helical vspring engaging the notch 29will be held from further movement so'that the spring will be loosened on the collar 22 and sleeve 25 and will resiliently arrest the rotation of the sprocket wheel 24. The shaft 19 will continue to rotate freely within the spring 28 and sleeve 25 so that the sprocket wheel will vbe disconnected from the shaft 19 and will remain stationary while the shaft continuesto rotate.

The slicing. knife 33 is mounted on a spindle 34 and is driven by a sprocket chain 35 which engages the sprocket wheel 24.` So long as the stop pawl 31 is-held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel f23, the knife will be rotated when the hand wheel 13 is turned.

necessary to push in on the knob 32 which will operate to break the driving connection between the hand wheel and knife While permitting the reciprocating-table to continue its movement. This permits the machine to be operated in the usual manner for slicing meat and other material which requires a rotary knife and permits easy disconnection of the drive so that the knife may be permit-ted to remain stationary for slicing cheese or other material which operates better with a stationary'knife.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the details and construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim l 1. In a slicing machine, a reciprocating table, a rotary slicing knife, driving mechanism for said table and knife, a spring clutch for connecting said knife with said driving mechanism, and means for releasing said spring clutch to free said knife from said driving mechanism.

2. A slicing machine comprisin a reciprocating table, a rotary slicing kni e, a drive for reciprocating said table and rotating said knife, and a releasable clutch interposed in said drive between said reciprocating table and rotary knife, said clutch comprising a pair of co-operating members, a helical spring frictionally engaging said members, and means for intercepting movement of one end of said spring for releasing the connection between said spring and members.

3. A slicing machine comprising a rotary slicing knife, a drive for said knife, and a clutch interposed between said drive and knife, said clutch comprising a pair of coaxial rotary members, a helical spring frictionally engaging said members for transmitting movement from one of said members to the other, and means for preventing movement at one end of said spring to relloease the grip of said spring upon said memers.

4. A slicingmachine comprising a rotary slicing knife, a drive for said knife, a spring clutch interposed between said drive and f knife, a ratchet wheel for releasing said 'spring clutch, and a stop movable into the vrotatable with said knife driving shaft for operating said knife driving mechanism, and means for holding said clutch means stationaryv during rotation of said knife driving shaft.

6. In a slicing machine having a slicing knife and a reciprocatory table, means for simultaneously driving said table and knife comprising a main drive shaft and a knife driving shaft driven thereby, driving mechanism for said knife, a spring frictionally engaging said knife driving shaft operatively connected with said knife driving mechanism, and means for holding said spring stationary with respect to said knife driving shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this eleventh day of October, A. D. 1927.

CORNELIS FRANCISCUS MARIA van BERKEL. 

